Amazon raises monthly Prime price in US

Amazon has raised the price of monthly Prime memberships in the US by $2 to $12.99, in a bid to push more people to an annual plan. The annual cost of Prime, which includes two-day shipping and video streaming, was unchanged at $99. Amazon said the change does not affect the UK or other countries. Amazon has focused on boosting Prime subscribers, which its chief financial officer has called its "Most important customer base". Amazon said it has invested in making Prime more valuable to its members, making more items eligible for Prime shipping and increasing the video offerings. In addition to the $2 hike to monthly plans, Amazon increased the price of its monthly student plan from $5.49 to $6.49.